Spindle for spinning or twisting frames



SPINDLE FOR SPINNING OR TWISTING FRAMES Filed July 3, 1939 7 Wider/F Gad,

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Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPINDLE FOR SPINNING OR TWISTING FRAMES 11 Claims.

This invention relates to spindles used in the production of yarn or thread in spinning or twisting frames.

It is the common practice to provide each such spindle with a small pulley or whirl and to drive the spindles from a rotated drum or cylinder by bands or cords. This method of driving spindles requires careful adjustment of band tension and frequent removal of lint, is non-flexible in power consumption, and has other disadvantages which it is the general object of my present invention to avoid.

More specifically, I provide a construction in which the driving force is applied entirely at the extreme lower end of the spindle blade, and in which all driving parts are enclosed and are also removed from the locus of the spinning or twisting operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved direct drive for each separate spindle and to make the driving connections selfadjusting with respect to each spindle.

A preferred form of my invention is shown in the drawing, in which-- Fig. l is an end elevation of my improved spindle, with certain associated parts shown in section:

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partly in section, and looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig.

l; and

Figs. 3 to 22 inclusive are detail views of separate parts to be described.

Referring to the drawing, I replace the usual spindle rail with a U-shaped rigid trough 30 which extends the entire length of the frame and which is adapted to form an oil reservoir. A drive shaft 3| is rotatably supported in bearings in each trough and is preferably formed in easily separable sections, with four or six spindles driven by each shaft section. The shaft 3| may be driven from either or both ends and preferably does not transmit power for any purpose except the driving of the spindles associated therewith. 45 A spindle base or bolster case 33 (Figs. 1 to 4) is provided for each spindle, and several bolster cases 33 are mounted on a cover plate 34, which in turn is secured to the top edge of the trough 3D. A separate cover plate is provided for each four to six cases, as with the driving shaft sec tions.

A bearing member (Figs. 2, 11 and 12) is mounted in the lower end or each bolster case 33 and extends loosely through an opening in the associated cover plate 34. The member 40 is held from rotation in the bolster case 33 by a screw 4|.

A bolster (Fig. 2, 9 and 10) provides an elongated bearing for a spindle blade 41. Said bolster is firmly inserted in the upper end of the 5 bearing member ill and is preferably pinned therein, so that the bolster case 33, bolster 46, and bearing member 40, when assembled, form a single unit. The upper end of the bolster 46 is, however, loosely fitted in the upper end of the bolster case 33, to permit slight radial adjustment and thus prevent vibration with an unbalanced load.

The lower end of the blade 41 is flattened to fit in a slot (Fig. 15) in the upper end of a coupling member 5! having a corresponding slot 52 (Fig. 16) in its lower face. This latter slot 52 receives a tongue 53 in the upper face of a driving plug 54 (Figs. 17 and 18) which is rotatable in a vertical cylindrical opening 55 (Fig. 12) in the bearing member fill. The connector 5i forms in effect a universal joint and substantially prevents transmission of vibrations between the driving plug 54 and the blade 41.

The lower end of the plug 54 is preferably given the conical shape indicated at 5B and rotates in a conical depression 5'l' (Fig. 2) at the lower end of the opening 55. The spindle blade 41 has a bobbin support fill (Fig. 2) and is held from upward displacement by a collar 5i fitted 30 in the upper end of the bolster case 33 and secured by a screw 62.

A sleeve 64 (Fig. 5) is slidably mounted on the shaft 3| and is provided with a flange or disc 65 having an annular lateral projection or ring 66 (Fig. 2) which directly engages and drives the cylindrical middle portion of the plug 54. The bearing member Mi is cut away at one side, as indicated at 61 (Figs. 2 and 12) to permit the annular projection 66 to thus engage the plug 54,

A ball-or other rotatable element "It (Fig. 2) is mounted in an opening H in the opposite side of the bearing member 40 and engages the plug 54 at a point diametrically aligned with the point of engagement of the plug by the annular projection 66.

A sleeve (Fig. 7) telescopes with the sleeve 64 previously described and is provided with a flange or disc 8|, the inner face of which engages the ball 10 as shown in Fig. 2. The sleeve 64 has a transverse notch 83 (Fig. 5) which receives the flattened portion 84 (Fig. 20) of a Washer 85 when the parts are assembled. The washer 85 is of the special formation shown in Figs. 20 to 22, with an offset portion 8! and a reentrant V- 55 shaped portion 8% the whole being formed of fairly heavy sheet metal.

In assembling the parts, the discs 65 and 8| are positioned at opposite sides of the bearing member 553, after which the washer is inserted in the slot 83. A double-ended key (Figs. 2 and 19) is then inserted through the central openings of the assembled parts, with one end 9! projecting outward adjacent the disc 65 and the other end 82 extending into the V- shaped offset portion 88 of the washer 85, the inner face of the projection 92 being beveled to correspond with the angle of the V.

The parts thus assembled may then he slipped axially along a section of the driving shaft 3|, with the connecting portion of the key 90 seated in a keyway 941 (Fig. 1) extending the entire length of the shaft section. The key 90 thus forms a driving connection between the shaft 3| and the discs 65 and 8! but is loosely slidable axially in the keyway 94, so that the driving discs may automatically centralize themselves with respect to an associated spindle.

As the shaft is rotated, the annular projection 66 will engage the driving plug 55 on one side to directly rotated the same, and the disc 81 will indirectly engage the plug 54 through the ball 10 on the other side. The direction of application of the driving force of the disc 8! is thus reversed, so that both discs act to rotate the plug 54 in the same direction, which rotation is transmitted through the connector 5| to the spindle blade 41.

The angle of the V-shaped portion 88 should be flat enough to transmit the pressure required to drive the spindle and to increase the pressure as the load increases, but should not be flat enough to bind and prevent relief of driving pressure as the load decreases.

The turning moment imparted to the key 90 by the shaft 3! has two components, caused by the cam action of the V-shaped portion 88 of the washer 85. One component transmits rotation and the other produces side pressure on the discs. This side pressure is further increased by the advantage in leverage between the point where the end of the key bears on the washer and the point where the washer bears on the disc 8 l.

The angle of the V and the ratio of leverages should be so designed that for any given torque required to drive the spindle, the side pressure applied will be slightly greater than that necessary to produce the required driving force. Since any change in torque produces a directly proportional change in side pressure, the ratio of torque to side pressure, if correctly proportioned for one load, will be correct for all other loads.

If the angle of the V is too fiat, an increase in spindle load will wedge the key and continuously maintain a maximum side pressure, with continued maximum driving power, even though the spindle load is substantially reduced. With this angle not over however, the side pressure automatically increases and decreases in proportion to the load required. It is only necessary to determine the maximum spindle load required and to determine the angle and leverage which will give no slippage at this load, in order to have a minimum power consumption at all times, the spindle taking no more power than is required to carry the load. On the other hand, the tape for a tape-driven spindle must be tensioned at all times to carry maximum load.

It will be noted that the direction of rotation of the spindle may be reversed by turning the bolster case 33 and associated parts and also reversing the positions of the discs 65 and. BI, so that the annular projection 66 will engage the driving plug 54 at the right rather than at the left, as viewed in Fig. 2. The direction of rotation of all of the spindles may also be reversed by reversing the direction of rotation of the driving shaft 3|.

I can thus easily provide either right-hand or left-hand twist or can reverse certain spindles so that both right-hand and left-hand twist can be produced on selected groups of spindles at the same time.

Special provision is made for the circulation of oil through the bolster bearing and for this purpose oppositely inclined oil grooves 100 are provided in the side of the bearing member 40, which grooves connect at their upper ends with a transverse opening lfll and a vertical groove I02. The opening llll communicates with an opening I04 (Figs. 2 and 9) in the bolster 45,and the upper end of the bolster is slotted as indicated at I05.

With this arrangement, oil will be thrown upward by the rapidly rotating disc 65 through one or the other of the inclined grooves I 09, according to the direction of rotation, and this oil will flow through the openings It! and I04 to the interior of the bolster 46, from which point it will follow up the bolster to the upper end thereof, returning through the slots l5 and I02 and the second inclined groove I69 to the trough 38. A definite circulation of oil is thus provided and the entire set of spindles is effectively lubricated from the substantial volume of oil in the trough 30, thus rendering the usual frequent oiling of the spindles unnecessary. It is desirable to maintain the trough about one-half full of oil.

Springs I96 have their lower ends seated in radial holes H11 in the bolster 46 and have their upper ends slidable in the oil grooves 105. The outwardly bowed middle portions of the springs yielding engage the inside of the bolster case 33 and serve to steady the rapidly rotated spindle blade.

It will be noted that any spindle is easily removable for inspection or repair by separating its bolster case 33 from its cover plate 34, or by removing the cover plate 34 with its attached bolster cases from the trough 38.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to L the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In a spinning or twisting frame, a substantially vertically mounted spindle blade, 2. hori zontal driving shaft extending lengthwise of said r frame below said spindle blade, and a friction driving connection between said shaft and said spindle blade, said driving connection including two driving parts which rotate in the same direction and simultaneously drive said spindle at points which are diametrically opposed with respect to the spindle axis and a rotatable element interposed between one of said discs and said spindle.

2. In a spinning or twisting frame, a substantially vertically mounted spindle blade, a horizontal driving shaft extending lengthwise of said frame below said spindle blade, and a friction driving. connection between said shaft and said spindle blade, said driving connection including a driven plug and a readily separable device interposed between said plug and said spindle blade and forming a universal joint between said parts.

3. In a spinning or twisting frame, a substanload.

tially vertically mounted spindle blade, a horiaontal driving shaft extending lengthwise of said frame below said spindle blade, a friction driving connection between said shaft and said spindle blade, and automatic pressure-adjusting means effective to vary the driving pressure in accordance with variations in spindle load.

4. In a spinning or twisting frame, a substantially vertically mounted spindle blade, a horizontal driving shaft extending lengthwise of said frame below said spindle blade, and a friction driving connection between said shaft and said spindle blade, said driving connection including a rotated element aligned with and connected to the spindle blade, means to engage and drive said rotated element, and cam means to automatically vary the driving pressure on said element. in accordance with the spindle load.

5. In a spinning or twisting frame, a substantially vertically mounted spindle blade, a horizontal driving shaft extending lengthwise of said frame below said spindle blade, and a friction driving connection between said shaft and said spindle blade, said driving connection including a rotated element aligned with and connected to the spindle blade, means to engage and drive said rotated element at diametrical opposite points, and cam means to automatically vary the driving pressure applied to said element at. said opposed points in accordance with the spindle 6. In a spinning or twisting frame, a substantially vertically mounted spindle blade, a horizontal driving shaft extending lengthwise of said frame below said spindle blade, and a friction driving connection between said shaft and said spindle blade, said connection including a pair of friction driving discs mounted on said shaft at opposite sides of the coacting spindle and hav- 4!) ing relatively slidable bearing portions, means to press said discs toward each other to simultaneously drive said spindle in the same direction, means to rotate said discs with said shaft, and

a rotatable element. interposed between one of M said discs and said spindle.

7. The combination in a spinning or twisting frame as set forth in claim 6, in which a key having offset ends embraces said discs and is slidably mounted in a keyway in said shaft.

8. The combination in a spinning or twisting frame as set forth in claim 6, in which a key having offset ends embraces said discs and is slidably mounted in a keyway in said shaft, and in which a pressure-transmitting member is interposed between one offset end of said key and one of said friction discs.

9. The combination in a spinning or twisting frame as set forth in claim 6, in which a key having offset ends embraces said discs and is slidably mounted in a keyway in said shaft, and in which a pressure-transmitting member is interposed between one offset end of said key and one of said friction discs and has a lever engagement with said disc, whereby an increased spindle load effects increased driving pressure by said discs.

10. In a spinning or twisting frame, a substan tially vertically mounted spindle blade, a horizontal driving shaft extending lengthwise of said frame below said spindle blade, a friction driving connection between said shaft and said spindle blade, and automatic means effective to main-' tain a predetermined ratio between torque and friction pressure for changes in load.

11. In a spinning or twisting frame, a substantially vertically mounted spindle blade, a horizontal driving shaft extending lengthwise of said frame below said spindle blade, and a friction driving connection between said shaft and said spindle blade, said driving connection comprising a friction disc engaging said spindle, a second disc, and a ball interposed between said second disc and said spindle, both of said discs being mounted on and rotated by said shaft.

WALTER B. CAIN. 

